Beer today, gone tomorrow: Asheville beer happenings May 24-30

Beer Today, Gone Tomorrow is the one-stop home for Asheville-area beer news. Check back throughout the week for updates and send your own to wncbeertoday@gmail.com.

Small-batch beers

• Bottles of Burial Beer Co.‘s Terrestrial Paradise Brett Farmhouse Saison are currently available at the brewery for on-site consumption. On Thursday, May 26, the brewery will be tapping the latest batch of Skillet Donut Stout.
• As of Wednesday, May 25, Hi-Wire Brewing is pouring a Lemongrass Ginger IPA (6.8 percent ABV), a collaboration with Durty Bull Brewing Co., at its South Slope tasting room.

Special Events

• On Wednesday, May 25, Cucina 24 will host a five-course dinner with sour beer pairings from Wicked Weed Brewing’s Funkatorium, including the brewery’s sought-after Red Angel. Cocktails will be served 6-7 p.m. with dinner following at 7 p.m. Tickets are $65 per person and can be purchased here.
• Thirsty Monk Downtown will host a tap event featuring 10 Barrel Brewing Co. and Elysian Brewing Co. on Thursday, May 26. Elysian’s Space Dust IPA and 10 Barrel’s Joe IPA will be available on draft.
• Bruisin’ Ales‘ free weekly tasting takes place Thursday, May 26 from 5-7 p.m. and features selections from Oskar Blues Brewery. Samples of Beerito Mexican Lager, Old Chub Scotch Style Ale, Pinner Session IPA, Gubna Imperial IPA and Hot Box Coffee Porter will be poured.
• Hi-Wire Brewing will host the first in its Butcher’s Table series of beer dinners in collaboration with Foothills Meats on Thursday, May 26, from 6:30-11 p.m. at the Big Top. Chef Steven Goff, formerly of King James Public House and currently head butcher at Standard Foods of Raleigh, will create a locally sourced five-course meal paired with Hi-Wire’s beers. Tickets are $67 per person and can be purchased online or at the Big Top.

AVL Beer Week events

Friday, May 27

• Highland Brewing Co. kicks off AVL Beer Week with the grand opening of its new rooftop patio on Friday, May 27, from 4-9 p.m. The party will feature live music in the Meadow, food trucks and Highland brews including cans of the brewery’s Pilsner.
• On Friday, May 27, at 5 p.m. Asheville Brewing Co. will release Dinosour, a sour blonde ale with rose petals, elderberry and hibiscus brewed in collaboration with Sylva’s Innovation Brewing. Brewers will be on hand to discuss the brewing process and how this “collabeeration” came to be.
• Wicked Weed Brewing will release this year’s batch of Coolcumber starting at 5 p.m.

Saturday, May 28

• Asheville Brewers Alliance presents the seventh annual Beer City Festival  1-6 p.m. on the Roger McGuire Green in downtown Asheville. Over 30 ABA member breweries will be pouring beer with live music, food and sponsored attractions. Tickets are $45 dollars in advance and $50 the day of the event.
• Asheville Brewing Co. will release three very limited barrel-aged beers simultaneously at Beer City Festival and at their brewery on Coxe Avenue. The beers: Toasted Coconut Bourbon Barrel-Aged Carolina Mountain Monster Imperial Stout, Brandy Barrel-Aged Ninjabread Man Porter, and Cabernet Savingnon Barrel-Aged Carolina Mountain Monster Imperial Stout. Brewers will be on hand to discuss the barrel-aging process.
• Green Man Brewery will release Balancer Summer Ale, a sessionable dry-hopped English Pale Ale, from noon-5 p.m. One dollar from sales of each pint of this beer will go to Hadaya Toys, a local nonprofit started by two Asheville moms which brings soccer balls and other toys to children in refugee camps throughout the world.
• Wicked Weed Brewing will release bottles of Batch 1,000 at 10 a.m. at its Biltmore Ave. brewpub bottle shop. The bourbon barrel-aged imperial dark ale is made with turbinado sugar, dried cherries, golden raisins, star anise, rose hips and plums. Then at 5 p.m. in the downstairs tasting room, Wicked Weed will celebrate the annual release of its Menage a Freak Triple IPA. The burlesque/circus themed event will include aerial artists and live music. Costumes are encouraged.

Sunday, May 29

• Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park will host a beer brunch with Sierra Nevada from noon-4 p.m. Head chef Jordan Adams has developed a small plate a la carte menu to pair with Sierra Nevada beers including Otra Vez, Sweet Sunny South, Pale Ale, 11.5 Plato IPA and Narwhal.
• Burial Beer Co. will release bottles of Seasoned Skillet Bourbon Barrel-Aged Donut Stout starting at noon. This breakfast stout is crafted from a blend of nine barley malts, oats, milk and molasses sugars, and a blend of freshly roasted Counter Culture Coffee beans, then aged in Four Roses bourbon barrels for 9 months. Bottles are $18 each with a limit of two per person.
• Wicked Weed Brewing will release up to 10 different saisons on draft at its Biltmore Avenue brewpub from noon-11 p.m.
• Pisgah Brewing Co. will release bottles of Mountain County Stout, an 11.8 percent ABV imperial stout aged for 11 months in Four Roses bourbon barrels at the brewery starting at 1 p.m. Mountain County Stout is brewed with dark roasted malts, raw cocoa nibs from French Broad Chocolate Lounge and a proprietary blend of dark roasted organic coffee from Pisgah’s neighbor, Dynamite Roasting Co.

Monday, May 30

• Ben’s Tune-up and Bhramari Brewhouse will release a collaboration beer, Natural Born Farmer, a tart Brett farmhouse ale with white peach and pink peppercorns available at both breweries.
• Thirsty Monk will host its annual Oskar Blues Trolley Crawl, starting at the Downtown Monk at 5:15 p.m. The trolley will tour all Thirsty Monk locations, leaving the Downtown Monk at 5:30 p.m. and proceeding to Open Brewing in Gerber Village, followed by Thirsty Monk locations in Biltmore Park and Woodfin before returning Downtown.